The 2024 NBA Draft takes place in less than a month and Donovan Clingan is one of the more interesting prospects in this class. After suffering injuries in back-to-back years and helping UConn win the national title in both of those years, Clingan enters the NBA as one of the most versatile centers with immediate impact and tons of upside. Clingan averaged 12.9 points per game, 6.9 rebounds per game, and 1.4 assists per game in 22 minutes played on average last season. He also was effective from the field, but one of the worries is how he fared at the charity stripe, but that is a problem with most centers in the NBA. We will dive into his strengths and weaknesses to see how he stacks up as a NBA prospect.
Strengths:
High Intensity Rim Protector – With Donovan Clingan being coached by Dan Hurley, who values high intensity and effort in practice, Clingan carries the effort play on every possession. He averaged the eighth-most blocks in the NCAA at 2.5 and opponents shot below 44% when they were guarded by Clingan. He may not be a better rim protector than Alex Sarr, who is projected to go number one overall to the Atlanta Hawks, but the work ethic and intensity will get him there.
Transition – Many times in the Illinois game and in many games, Clingan sprinted down the court if Illinois tried to speed the offense up and keep UConn guessing. The effort was there on both ends and is a great transition player, something NBA teams will love to see, especially for a big man.
Weaknesses:
Floor Spacing – Clingan is an old school center and doesn’t initiate the offense and post up if he has a mismatch or has a good look. The floor spacing was not good either, running into players when trying to get a rebound and flooding one side of the floor. UConn’s offense was star-ran, so maybe it was a case of leaning on Castle.
Shooting – Aside from shooting well from the field, at above 60% this past season, Clingan has struggled from deep and at the line. He only took four threes all year, but he should look to improve if he wants to help his case as a franchise center in the NBA. As for the free throws, he will need to work on that as well, as many teams will look to send him to the line in tight games if the opportunity arises. A good sign was that he was seen at a workout hitting threes, prepping for the NBA Draft.
NBA Comparison:
Walker Kessler is a good NBA comparison for Clingan, a great rim protector who struggles at the line and from deep. He can turn into a Karl-Anthony Towns, though, in my opinion, with better defense. Clingan’s defense is going to keep him on the floor in his rookie season, but if he wants any chance at being an everyday starting center for a franchise, he will have to work on his post up ability and shooting.
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